The union was founded in 1858 as the Preston Power Loom Weavers' Association, although a predecessor of the same name had operated at times from 1842 onwards.
A minority of members objected strongly to this, and 2,340 of them split away, forming the rival Preston Power Loom Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Protection Society.
Membership of this union failed to grow, and in 1921 it rejoined the Preston Weavers.
[1] The small Bamber Bridge and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association merged into the Preston Weavers in 1940, but membership fell in line with the decline in the Lancashire cotton industry, dropping to only 4,050 by 1960.
In response to its broader remit, the union renamed itself as the North Lancashire and Cumbria Textile Workers' Association.